The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched a new digital platform aimed at eliminating delays in passenger clearance and improving transparency in customs operations at Nigeria’s international airports.
The platform, known as the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS), was officially unveiled on Monday at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
“Designed to simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers, the system is expected to reduce manual bottlenecks, enhance operational efficiency and improve compliance in revenue assessment.”
The Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, described the deployment as a major milestone in the Service’s digital transformation drive under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
Adebakin said the initiative was introduced following operational challenges experienced with the Service’s previous passenger declaration platform earlier this year.
“When the earlier platform experienced operational challenges, we chose not to see it as a setback. We saw it as an opportunity to build something better, stronger and more efficient,” she said.
According to her, the SCADS platform allows passengers to declare items before arriving in the country, a move she said would significantly reduce clearance time and improve compliance.
“For passengers, this system creates the opportunity for advance declaration before arrival. It means faster clearance, easier compliance and smoother movement through our airports,” she added.
She further explained that the platform would eliminate subjective revenue assessment by automatically generating duties based on declared items, their quantities and actual values.
“When we talk about revenue collection, it is not about collecting more or less. It is about collecting the right revenue. With this system, assessment will now be more objective, accurate and driven by data,” Adebakin stated.
The Deputy Comptroller-General also commended officers of the Non-Intrusive Inspection Unit, members of the deployment team and technical partners for their contributions to the successful pilot rollout.
Earlier, the Customs Area Controller of the FCT Area Command, Comptroller Victoria Alibo, described the selection of the command for the pilot phase as a vote of confidence in its operational capacity.
Alibo noted that the new platform integrates passenger baggage and e-commerce declarations into a single digital framework aligned with global customs best practices.
“SCADS is designed to simplify declarations, reduce clearance time, eliminate manual bottlenecks and align our operations with international standards,” she said.
She disclosed that the pilot phase would run for five days, from May 18 to May 22, 2026, during which officers would assess the system in a live operational environment ahead of nationwide deployment.
The launch event was attended by senior customs officers, officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, partner government agencies, technical teams and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s aviation and border management sector.
